[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a print system and a printer which print print data.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] Printers have been known which print documents, figures, and tables. In recent years, printers or print systems have been popularized which enable the printing of images photographed using a digital camera or created using a personal computer.
[0005] For example, as printers that enable images photographed using a digital camera to be printed on print paper, what is called “TA printers” are commercially available which employ a TA (Thermo Autochrome) method for printing. With the TA method, a thermal head is used to heat color print paper (hereinafter referred to as “TA paper”) having a C, M, and Y color developing layers, at a predetermined temperature to develop a color that tends to be developed at this temperature. Then, the paper is irradiated with ultraviolet rays with a predetermined wavelength using a fluorescent lamp or the like to fix the developed color. This method is thus characterized by eliminating the need for ink or toner.
[0006] Furthermore, sublimation type thermal transfer printers are popular which heat an ink ribbon to sublimate and attach ink already applied to the ribbon, to exclusive paper coated with a resin.
[0007] Moreover, conventional ink jet type printers may be used to print images photographed using a digital camera.
[0008] Recently, digital cameras have been provided with mass recording media so that a large number of images can be saved in the recording medium. In these circumstances, print machines are on the market which use TA printers, sublimation type thermal transfer printers, or ink jet type printers such as those described previously. In these print machines, a plurality of these printers are connected together or mounted in order to print color images at a high speed. An over-the-counter print system is an example.
[0009] It is assumed that prints produced by a print system in which a plurality of printers are connected together or mounted are discharged from, for example, a discharge port formed in only one area of the print system. Then, if any print discharged from the discharge port is defective, it is necessary to determine which printer has produced this print. The word “defective” means that the colors in the print are too light or dark or that the print is striped. These defects result from a decrease in pressure exerted on paper caused by the wear of the head or the degradation of carriage rubber.
[0010] To identify the printer that has caused a defect, it is contemplated that prints may be subjected to a certain process so as to allow the user to identify the printer on the basis of information obtained in association with the process.
[0011] To process prints, the prints may be stamped with marks as described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-92865, which has objects and system configurations different from those of the present invention. However, when prints are stamped with marks, the commercial values of the prints themselves may be impaired if the user can visually identify the marks easily and if the prints need to have high quality as in the case with photographs or the like.
[0012] It is an object of the present invention to provide a print system and a printer which enable a user to identity the printer having produced a print on the basis of this print without impairing the quality of the print.
[0013] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a print system comprising:
[0014] a plurality of printers each having information identifying the printer,
[0015] a host section that transmits print data to the plurality of printers to instruct the printers to carry out printing,
[0016] a discharge portion to which prints from each printer are discharged,
[0017] a printer particular information providing device with which during printing, the printer provides, on each print to be discharged from the discharge portion, particular information indicating which printer has produced the print.
[0018] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the host section transmits print data to the plurality of printers to instruct them to carry out printing. Then, each printer carries out printing as instructed and discharges prints to the discharge portion. Prints from various printers are discharged to the discharge portion. However, each print is provided with the particular information indicating which printer has printed this print. Therefore, examining the print enables the user to identify the printer having produced this print.
[0019] A second aspect of the present invention is the print system according to the first aspect, wherein each of the printers determines a position at which the particular information is to be provided, from the size of the print data transmitted to the printer.
[0020] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the position at which the particular information is to be provided is determined from the size of the print data transmitted to each printer. Consequently, the particular information provided position is determined in accordance with the print data size.
[0021] A third aspect of the present invention is the print system according to the second lo aspect, wherein the particular information is a printed indication on printed surface of the print, and the printer analyzes print data present around the determined particular information provided position and provides, on the basis of results of the analysis, an indication which is less noticeable than the print data present around the determined particular information provided position but which can still be visually discovered.
[0022] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the printer analyzes the print data present around the determined particular information provided position and provides, on the basis of the results of the analysis, the indication which is less noticeable than the print data present around the determined particular information provided position but which can still be visually discovered.
[0023] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the print system according to the second aspect, wherein the position at which the particular information is provided varies with the printers, and each printer determines a position at which the particular information is to be provided on the basis of the information identifying the printer.
[0024] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the position at which the particular information is provided varies with the printers.
[0025] According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer comprising:
[0026] an analyzing device analyzing print data, and
[0027] an indication providing device which provides an indication which is unnoticeable but can still be visually discovered, on a print to be produced, on the basis of results of the analysis.
[0028] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the indication which is unnoticeable but can still be visually discovered is provided on the print to be produced, on the basis of the results of the analysis.
[0029] According to the first aspect of the present invention, examining prints discharged to the discharge portion enables the user to determine the printers having produced these prints. Accordingly, if any print has a defective part or the like, the user can promptly discover the printer having produced this print. Therefore, the user can promptly and accurately find and eliminate the cause of the defect.
[0030] According to the second aspect of the present invention, the particular information provided position is determined in accordance with the print data size. This eliminates the need to search for the particular information regarding the print data size.
[0031] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the print indication is provided which is less noticeable than the data present around the printed indication but which can still be visually discovered. Accordingly, the printed indication itself cannot be discovered without examining the print consciously. This prevents the quality of prints themselves from being degraded but still allows the user to discover easily the printed indication by examining the prints consciously.
[0032] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the position at which the particular information is provided varies with the printers. Accordingly, the same type of information can be provided at different positions. This facilitates the discovery of the particular information. Therefore, the printers can use the same structure for providing the particular information.
[0033] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the indication is provided on the print which is unnoticeable but which can still be visually discovered. Accordingly, the display itself cannot be discovered without examining the print consciously. This prevents the quality of prints themselves from being degraded but still allows the user to discover easily the display by examining the prints consciously.
[0034] The nature of this invention, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will be explained in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures and wherein:
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[0043] With reference to the accompanying drawings, description will be given of a preferred embodiment of a print system according to the present invention.
[0044]
[0045] This print machine
[0046]
[0047] The user inserts a recording medium into the media insertion port
[0048] Through the touch panel
[0049] The printers
[0050] As shown in
[0051] A job delivered by the SCSI controller
[0052] The print controller
[0053] Then, description will be given of TA paper used in this printer. As shown in
[0054] Upon receiving an instruction on the execution of printing from the system controller
[0055] At this time, a CPU
[0056] Upon receiving the data on the print gradation values for the C, M, and Y colors from the print controller
[0057] Upon receiving an instruction on the execution of printing from the system controller
[0058] The fixation control section
[0059]
[0060] As shown in
[0061] The TA paper
[0062] The thermal head
[0063] The LED
[0064] The system controller
[0065] Description will be given of a mechanism that generates mark dots in a predetermined area in the TA paper
[0066] Since the memory
[0067]
[0068] The gradation value for the mark dots deviates from an average value for the mark dot gradation value reference dots by 128 gradations. Then, the relationship between the gradation value for the mark dots and the average value for the surrounding mark gradation value reference dots is as shown in
[0069] The deviation by 128 gradations causes the mark dots to have an unnoticeable color but can still be distinguished from the surrounding colors to allow the user to discover them easily when examining the print consciously.
[0070] The use of the above mark dots enables the user to discover the mark that is unnoticeable on the print when examining the print consciously.
[0071] According to the present embodiment, the mark dots are provided on a print. Thus, if any of the prints discharged to the output port
[0072] Furthermore, the user cannot find the mark dots without examining the print consciously. This prevents the quality of prints themselves from being degraded.
[0073] In the present embodiment, the mark dots are displayed on prints to identify the printers having produced these prints. However, the present invention is not limited to this aspect. Unnoticeable characters or patterns may be used with the analysis of the surrounding gradation values.
[0074] Moreover, in the present embodiment, the mark dots are provided on the same surface as that on which images are printed. This enables the application of a typical printing structure, thus eliminating the need for complicated facilities. Therefore, an inexpensive print system can be provided.
[0075] The printers in the print machine may be sublimation type thermal transfer printers or ink jet type printers.
[0076] It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternate constructions and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.